thoughts about learning…and other matters

Maths

It’s helpful to read what the Brits say about maths teaching. I’ve recently started reading Mathematics in School, a journal published by the Mathematical Association (MA), which is more or less the British equivalent of our National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). I say “more or less” because there are some intriguing differences. For example, the MA describes its membership as follows:

Teachers in primary and secondary schools, further and higher education, advisers, inspectors, practising mathematicians and students. There are also institutional members.

I wouldn’t want to make some sweeping generalization about cultural differences here, but note how the NCTM describes its members:

a dynamic group of more than 100,000 dedicated teachers, educators, and institutions working toward the same goal — improving the teaching and learning of mathematics for all students.

Anyway, Mathematics in School provides articles that complement the NCTM’s Mathematics Teacher — similar but different, so to speak. Again let’s look at how they describe their own journals. From the MA:

Mathematics in School is aimed mainly at teachers of school and college pupils of 10 to 18 years of age and for those working with students who are preparing to enter the teaching profession.

We attempt to attain a balance of articles reflecting this age and ability range and look for pragmatic articles; ready-to-use materials; discursive, possibly philosophical articles; speculative, reflective, and sometimes retrospective pieces… There is also the opportunity to stimulate — and even amuse — otherwise hard-pressed and very busy teachers….

In contrast, the very serious NCTM offers the following “Mission Statement”:

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, providing vision, leadership, and professional development to support teachers in ensuring mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students. The Mathematics Teacher, an official journal of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, is devoted to improving mathematics instruction from grade 8 through two-year and teacher-education colleges. It provides a forum for linking research to practice, deepening understanding of mathematical ideas, and sharing activities and pedagogical strategies….

From these descriptions you can probably come up with a pretty accurate idea of the differences in the two publications’ articles. Reading either one without the other would result in losing something valuable.

Category Cloud

About me

I am starting my 21st year as a math teacher at Weston High School (the only public high school in Weston, MA, though sometimes it seems more like a private school). This is my 44th year as a teacher altogether. I also teach at Harvard’s Crimson Summer Academy each summer (this was the 15th!), and for 21 years I taught at the Saturday Course in Milton, MA. Until recently I served on the board of the Dorchester Historical Society.

I read, cook, and build my model railroad when I can. For some reason I’m left with less free time than would be ideal, but somehow I also manage to devote time to my wife, Barbara, and to our excessive number of cats.